Leber doesn't avoid Favre question

Vikings vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman and coach Brad Childress have both gone out of their way to make it clear there is no timetable for quarterback Brett Favre to make a decision on if he will play next season.

But Vikings linebacker Ben Leber, appearing along with Packers linebacker Nick Barnett on the NFL Network on Monday, hopes Favre doesn't make the team wait for too long. "We would love to have the guy back," Leber said. "My gut feeling is that he is going to come back. I think a respectable timetable would be to let us know as early as possible."

With the Vikings coming off a season in which they advanced to the NFC title game, Leber said what everyone has been thinking. That the Vikings should have a very good chance to repeat their 2009 success but they have to know who will be playing quarterback.

"I think waiting all the way until the end is just going to be detrimental to this team," Leber said. "I think he's going to make a decision quick and I hope he does."

Barnett, who went through a few offseasons of speculation about Favre's future in Green Bay, told Leber and the viewers that they shouldn't count on a quick decision.

There is one thing that shouldn't be confused in all of this Favre talk. That's the fact that if he does make a decision, it still doesn't mean he's going to have to come to all the offseason camps and maybe even the first part of training camp.

Leber made it clear that he just want to know what Favre's going to do. I still maintain that many of Favre's teammates don't care how much of the offseason program or early camp workouts he takes part in. They just want to know that he's coming back.

Matt Vensel is in his first year at the Star Tribune after covering the Ravens for the Baltimore Sun for six years. He is a Pittsburgh native and a Penn State grad. Follow him at @mattvensel.

Mark Craig has covered the NFL for 23 years, and the Vikings since 2003 for the Star Tribune. He is one of 44 Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors. Follow him at @markcraignfl.

Master Tesfatsion is the Star Tribune’s digital Vikings writer. He is a 2013 graduate of Arizona State and worked for mlb.com before arriving in Minneapolis. Follow him at @masterstrib.